New & Traditional Countertop Choices: Part 3 Laminate  Composite  Solid Surface  Concrete

Part 1 looked at and rated natural stone, ceramic tile, porcelain slab, sintered stone, metal, wood and glass countertops. If you are interested in one of these materials, click the button above to go to Part 1.

This part examines and rates high pressure laminate (Formica^®), solid surface (Corian^®), engineered composites (Silestone^®), concrete, and concrete composites.

Laminate Countertops

High-Pressure Decorative Laminate (HPDL) such as Formica^® and Wilsonart^® was the first engineered countertop material and is still the favorite of American homeowners. It out sells all other countertop materials combined and is installed in 70% of American kitchens.

Decorative laminate is made of paper layers and thermosetting phenolic resins. As many as 18 layers make up the final product. The bottom layers are Kraft paper, the same brown paper used in grocery bags, soaked in a phenolic resin. These give the material its rigidity.

The top or "wear layer" is usually some form of melamine, another thermosetting resin. It is transparent to reveal the pattern printed on the second or "decorative" layer, also impregnated with melamine.

Thermofused under great pressure and at high temperature, the resins bond the layers forming one solid sheet.

Advanced printing technologies allow laminate, which is a flat surface, to give the illusion of depth and dimension. This visual sleight-of-hand is often pretty convincing. Some lines of laminate can offer higher wear resistance than standard. Nevamar, for example, offers its award-winning "Armored Protection Surface" on all of its products — and a test kit you can buy for a nominal cost to see just how tough this surface is.

Reasonably durable and very affordable, virtually stain proof and somewhat heat resistant, laminate comes in so many colors and styles from so many manufacturers that the hardest part of selecting a laminate material may be the seemingly infinite number of choices.

If the wear surface is penetrated or damaged by cutting or burning, the laminate is usually ruined. Most attempts to repair laminate are unsuccessful — the repair looks like a repair. By comparison, a repair to a solid surface countertop and many stone products is almost impossible to detect.

Laminates can reasonably be expected to last 10-15 years with ordinary care — not nearly as long as solid surfaces, stone, or composites. But offsetting their relative lack of longevity is the price.

Laminate is among the least expensive countertop materials — so cheap, in fact, that regular replacement is affordable to refresh an aging kitchen or bathroom. We rank laminates as the best value in countertop materials for the budget-minded. (See Kitchen Remodeling on the Cheap: Proven Ideas for Creating Your Dream Kitchen on a Budget.

Solid Surfacing Countertops

Solid surface is a molded polymer surface made by heating a mix of acrylic, epoxide, or polyester resin with pigments and a form of aluminum called alumina hydrate.

The material can mimic the appearance of wood, stone, quartz, granite, or marble. The most recognizable brand in this group is the original: DuPont's Corian, invented in the 1960s.

The manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than just about any other manufactured countertop material and emits only a small amount of volatile organic compounds. In use in the home, it is virtually inert, having minimal impact on the environment.

Solid surfaces are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns from a growing number of domestic and foreign manufacturers, including well-known brands such as Corian from DuPont, Wilsonart, Formica, and Avonite to name just a few of the most widely available. New players such as LG (yes, the electronics manufacturer) have added to the variety.

Chip, stain, fade, and bacteria-resistant, so­lid surfaces are long-lasting and can usually be repaired if it becomes damaged. Unlike repairs to laminates, the pat­ches are virtually invisible.

Its finish as received from the factory is uniformly matte. It can be given a semi-gloss shine using a multi-step polishing process before it is installed but the finish is delicate and shows scratches readily.

Most brands offer matching sinks. Sinks can be integrated, which means the sink is made of the same material as the countertop and seamlessly bonded to the underside of the countertop so that the two essentially form one solid piece.

Undermount sinks offer several advantages compared to traditional sinks that sit on the countertop; perhaps the most helpful is that you can sweep debris from the countertop into the sink without having to maneuver it over the sink's lip.

The major disadvantage to solid surfaces is their susceptibility to damage by heat.

It is probably not a good idea to put hot pans on any countertop material (except glazed ceramic tile) but solid surfaces are particularly vulnerable to heat damage, and this is one kind of damage that is difficult to repair, requiring a complete replacement of the countertop.

Usually (but not always) less expensive than most natural stones but more expensive than laminates, solid surfaces are not a budget countertop solution.

Still, it is an excellent, lifetime material. Solid surfaces countertops we installed 15 years ago still look good. So, if your new kitchen is the last kitchen you will ever have, solid surfaces may be the choice for you.

Engineered Composite (Quartz) Countertops

When we first wrote this article a dozen years ago, there was essentially one filler material used in engineered composites: quartz. In fact, quartz was so predominant that the original title of this section was then "Quartz and Engineered Stone."

In the intervening years, things have changed dramatically. Composite filler materials now include metal, glass, paper, and bamboo as well as stone, and no doubt before this revision is uploaded, someone will come up with yet another filler material.

The object of using all these new materials is to get greener. Most of the new materials are either environmentally sustainable or contain a high percentage of post-consumer waste, or both, giving them at least the patina of being a "green" material.

Since the manufacturing process uses a lot of energy and requires environmentally questionable chemicals such as phenol (derived from petroleum), methane, and formaldehyde), we rather doubt the "greenness" of any petro-resin-bonded composite material.

This is an example of the questionable practice of promoting products as "green" merely because they contain some environmentally friendly components or use some eco-friendly processes while ignoring the totality of the product which may be about as eco-friendly overall as acid rain

It's called "greenwashing" and we don't think phenolic composites are or can ever be truly green, just greenwashed. (See sidebar: Can Engineered Composites Ever Be Truly "Green"?).

Engineered composites are not new. The very first thermosetting plastic, Bakelite, developed around 1909 by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland, was a composite made with wood dust. Bakelite was developed for use as an electrical insulator but also found a home as the plastic shell for many very early radios and as the material used to make those truly ugly institutional food trays.

Some manufacturers have traded in petro-based resins for binders made of natural oils, such as corn oil. We certainly applaud these efforts. Now, all we need is a few years of seasoning to see how well non-petro-binders hold up under normal use. At the moment, it is still an experimental material.

The filler makes up the bulk of the material gives the material much of its character. Common filler materials used today include stone dust, glass shards, cellulose fibers, and metal shavings. When combined with a phenolic resin and baked under tremendous pressure the result is a dense, very tough, durable surface that looks much more like natural stone than do solid surfaces but is harder and more flexible than real stone, and free of the fissures, chips, and pits that plague natural stone. And, unlike natural stone, composites never need sealing. They are virtually maintenance-free.

Often more expensive than natural stone, engineered composite products are not for those on a budget. The good news, though, is that prices seem to be continuously coming down as the market becomes more competitive.

Quartz Composites

The flagship engineered composite countertop, owning over 60% of the market, is Silestone owned by the Spanish company, Cosentino. Other quartz composite manufacturers include Caesarstone, an Israeli company, and Zodiaq by Dupont.

Quartz is the fourth hardest natural mineral, after diamonds, topaz, and sapphire. It usually comprises about 95% of the engineered material. The materials is more flexible than natural stone and less likely to chip, crack, or break. On the downside, however, the phenolic binder, unlike natural stone, can be damaged by high heat, so never put a hot pan on any engineered composite.

Paper Composites

A relative newcomer to the countertop world, paper composites are often heralded as an environmentally friendly countertop product. We have some doubts about this (See sidebar: Can En­gin­eered Com­pos­ites Ev­er Be Tru­ly "Green"?).

Environmental issues aside, however, the product is a very good countertop material. The paper is either pulp from managed forests or post-consumer waste — one manufacturer, Paperstone Products uses a high percentage of decommissioned paper money.

It is dense and heavy, weighing about as much as natural granite. It can scratch but since the color goes all the way through the material, it takes a very serious marring to show any damage. Variations in the base paper often result in slight color variations and a "mottled" appearance, especially in lighter colors.

There are no patterns available, all of the products have solid coloring. Seams will show, so careful design is needed to minimize or disguise seams.

The material is tough enough to use in chemical laboratories (its original application) and strong enough to be used as skating rink floors, but it will wear and can stain.

Over time and with use, the countertop will develop a seasoned appearance. It will exhibit a softer, deeper tone, with more luster in the areas of heavier use.

Most homeowners who prefer these countertops also tend to prefer countertos of soapstone and concrete that also show a patina of age.

Glass Composites

Glass is also a relatively new filler material in composite countertops.

The composite is between 75% and 85% post-consumer glass, depending on the manufacturer, with the rest being a colored resin binder. Thousands of pieces of polished glass, which began life as beer bottles, windshields, traffic lights, and stemware are chopped up and become the dominant material in this composite.

A special binder is required since most ordinary resins will not bond well with glass.

But, the result is a tough, durable material with a truly unique texture of light reflecting off of glass particles. Although the surface is hard, it can still be scratched and high heat will damage the resin binder. Use a cutting board and put hot pans on a trivet.

Aluminum Composites

Even shredded aluminum is finding its way into composite countertops. The manufacturer, Alkemi, uses shavings of scrap aluminum embedded in a resin that comes in dozens of colors.

The metal reflects light in interesting ways, and the resin provides a contemporary appearance.

With both a matte and a polished side on each slab, the materials offer the homeowner a choice of visual effects.

The surface is durable and resists heat but as with most resin-bound composite products can be scratched by the truly determined and will be damaged by high heat.

Miscellaneous Composites

So, in describing this product as composed mostly of trash, we are not being disrespectful. It just happens to be true.

The resin that binds all this scrap together to make a countertop is composed of 22% corn oil. About the other 78%, the company is conspicuously silent, from which we conclude it is nothing to brag over. Most probably, it is the usual phenol-formaldehyde which is not considered an environmentally friendly petro-chemical.

The salvaged fillers and corn oil make this about the greenest of the composite countertops and perhaps as eco-friendly as can be achieved with high pressure and heat processes that require an enormous amount of energy.

But, it is still not particularly green.

ECO composite is too new to have been extensively tested in the marketplace but its manufacturer claims that it performs as well as the less eco-friendly composites. Its warranty, however, is skimpy — only 5-years — so it does not seem that the company has all that much actual confidence in the longevity of the product.

Concrete & Concrete Composite Countertops

Concrete is hardly a new material. It has been around for centuries. But, the concrete used in countertops bears only the slightest resemblance to the stuff in your driveway or sidewalk.

What has been done to concrete has to be seen to be believed.

Concrete countertops are the very latest thing among the California and New York glitterati.

Some well-known kitchen designers are predicting that concrete may eventually eclipse granite as the up-scale countertop material of choice.

It may seem odd to use a pedestrian material like concrete in a kitchen or bathroom — unless the bathroom is attached to a gym or the county jail — but in fact, concrete countertops are warm and attractive with an almost unlimited choice of finishes and colors.

Concrete countertops may be formed in a studio workshop, then installed much like natural stone slabs. This process, however, often leaves joints that must be filled.

Poured-in-place concrete countertops are one seamless unit. The disadvantage of this method is that it is a huge, gigantic, incredible mess.

The forms for the concrete are assembled on top of already installed cabinets that have to be protected. Often the floor is also finished – another protection problem.

Once the forms are in place, then the concrete is usually carried in by the bucket-full, many buckets-full, in fact. Then it must be carefully tinted, finished, and allowed to cure for several days while being kept damp so it does not crack.

Obviously, all this is quite the chore – and one best left to the pros.

There are additional drawbacks:

• Concrete countertops are expensive — more costly than natural stone in most places.

• They are so heavy that the cabinets (and sometimes the floors) under them may have to be specially reinforced.

• Concrete typically develops hairline cracks due to the natural shrinkage of curing concrete. Some people like the look of age that the cracks suggest. Others hate the idea.

• Concrete, like natural stone and unglazed tile, has to be sealed and resealed periodically. It is, in fact, fairly high maintenance if it is to be kept looking "new." Many owners, however, like the "character" of concrete that is showing a little use.

Within the last ten or so years, regional and nationwide sources of concrete-based products have emerged. Unlike locally-made countertops, these are composite products — a combination of some very special concrete blends used as a binder and a filler material. The concrete usually is reinforced with glass fibers for incredible strength.

Most manufacturers of concrete composites seem reluctant to call the binder "concrete." It's called a "natural mineral binder" or "fibrous cement" or "eco-ceramic cement." It's really just concrete but not "just concrete" — it's concrete on steroids — more flexible and up to 10 times stronger than regular concrete.

None that we have examined recently showed any evidence of shrink- or stress-cracking, so those problems appear to have been conquered in this fourth generation of composite concrete formulations.

Filler materials may be stone, shells, paper, glass, metal, or just about anything else, often mixed together in interesting ways.

The goal of the filler is three-fold. It adds "green" content to the material by using post-consumer waste. It reduces the serious weight of concrete to something approaching merely back-breaking. And, it dramatically changes the look of the resulting material.

Many IceStone countertops, for example, looks like a very expensive terrazzo because of the materials' high glass content.

The greenness of the product, even with eco-friendly fillers, is suspect, however, since concrete itself is not especially green. It requires a lot of energy to manufacture.

But, many of these products qualify for U.S. Green Building Council LEED credits, so at least someone thinks they are fairly eco-friendly.

Every manufacturer has its proprietary concrete recipe that is a closely guarded secret.

Conc­rete does not naturally bind to glass — glass is too slick. So the concrete must be specially formulated if the finished product is not to be seriously weakened. Other fillers like paper and stone aggregate are less of a problem.

The material is cast into large slabs and left to cure, then polished to expose the filler and refine the surface. A high polish, very unlike anything ever seen on ordinary concrete, is very possible with these products.

Just like solid surfaces or engineered composite countertops, composite concrete is typically shipped in large slabs to be fitted and installed by a local countertop installer with the special tools, training, and experience to cut, shape, and polish the material.

Some manufacturers, however, will cast the countertop to size, eliminating local cutting, shaping, and polishing, and most manufacturers will also make sinks and other accessories to match. Some even allow the buyer to select his own filler and finish.

Rev. 04/11/22